Page 204 of Small Town Firsts

We all laugh and take that as our cue to disband.

“Y’all still hungry?” Alden asks.

My dad pats his belly. “I could eat. If you still want us to join you.”

“Wouldn’t be the same without you, Luke.” Internally I beam at Alden’s words, loving that he loves my family the same way they love him.

“I’m gonna go check on Tatum,” I say, excusing myself. I head to the half bath, knowing that’s where my girl will be.

I find Jenny in the hall outside of the half bath. “Sorry,” she cringes. “I tried telling her to wait.”

“You’re all good. It was actually perfect timing.”

Jenny’s tight facial features visibly relax. Poor girl—we haven’t really made the best first impression as a family unit, have we?

We both grin when from behind the bathroom door Tatum hollers, “Miss Jenny! I all done. I did a poop!”

“I’ve got this,” I tell my best friend, and Lord knows, she doesn’t need to be told twice. She makes a hasty retreat, bumping into my brother on the way. I watch, fascinated, as she tries to stop in time, but trips and faceplants into his chest.

He catches her and steadies her on her feet. “Whoa, girl. Slow down.”

She smiles up at him dazedly before moving around him and scurrying away. He turns my way, smirking. “Your friend’s an odd one.”

“She is not!” I start to argue, but Tatum interrupts.

“Hello! I did a poop! Helps!”

Nate laughs, backing away. “That’s all you.”

I open the bathroom and immediately bust out laughing. Tatum has practically the entire thing of toilet paper unrolled and is in the process of bunching it. “Tater Tot, what on earth are you doing?”

“No one came to help me, so I do it. I’m big!”

“Oh my, youarebig. But, sweetheart, that much toilet paper will clog the toilet.”

I show her the proper amount to use, but she pushes it back my way. “No, you here now. You do it.”Good Lord, this kid.I help her take care of business, and we both wash our hands,humming theHappy Birthdaysong as we go, before heading out to join everyone else.

Back in the kitchen, the atmosphere is notably lighter, and my heart soars. This is how it should be when family gets together—easy and fun, not rife with tension and aggression.

Tatum notices it too. “Oh! Eb-ry one is happy now!” She claps her hands and twirls. “Dis is much gooder!” She walks over to where my parents are seated at the bar. “Nana. Popsie. I show y’all my room?”

“We would love that very much,” my mom tells her, and the three of them set off up the stairs.

Alden and Nate are chatting about God knows what by the back door, while Jenny is—wait a minute. “Alden, where’s Jenny?”

“She stepped outside to make a phone call.” He walks over to me and pulls me into him, nestling my head in the crook of his chin. “You okay?”

I sigh. “Yeah. I am.” His earlier declaration whispers to me. “You really meant it when you said you loved me?”

“With every fiber of my being.”

I pull back and look up at him. “You’re not worried about…complications?”

“Natalie, I. Love. You. I love our daughter. I want us to be so tangled up together that I don’t know where you end and I begin. I want all of the complications. I want you. I want this. For now, and forever.”

I push up on to my tip-toes and kiss him, not caring one bit that my brother is still in the room. Or at least I don’t care until he groans and mutters, “I’m glad y’all are happy, but I don’t need to see this shit.”

I pull away and smirk at him before leaning in and kissing Alden one last time. “I guess I’m going to get all of the side dishes reheated.”

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